Orthotics Specialist

Custom orthotics often are the single most effective treatment for foot and ankle pain. More than just alleviating pain, they actually work to correct the root cause of your problems to provide long-term relief and healing. Dr. Richard P. Jacoby at Extremity Health Centers in Scottsdale, Arizona, creates high-quality custom-orthotics to treat and manage a variety of problems affecting the foot and ankle.

Orthotics Q & A

What are orthotics?

Custom orthotics are medical positioning devices inserted into the shoe to reposition the tendons, bones, ligaments, and muscles in the heel and arch of the foot. Orthotics position your foot so that each structure functions in the way it’s designed to function. The most common orthotics used for foot and ankle problems include shoe inserts, custom post-surgical boots, and ankle/foot braces.

Custom orthotics differ from store-bought shoe inserts in that they are created just for you based a mold of your foot taken when you aren’t bearing weight. This ensures that the device accommodates the natural resting form of your foot.

How do custom orthotics work?

Most foot problems – both internal and external – result from poor structure and alignment of the foot and ankle. Even seemingly unnoticeable misalignments can cause conditions like bunions, corns, or hammertoes, and/or serious discomfort and pain.

Orthotics serve a number of purposes: they provide arch support customized for your arch, in turn realigning the foot and ankle. When the foot and ankle are appropriately aligned, the rest of your body is able to function at it’s best posture, preventing pain and complications in both the foot/ankle and elsewhere (knees, hips, back, and neck).

What are the benefits of custom orthotics?

By improving the structure and alignment of your foot, custom orthotics go above and beyond pain relief to control the overall function of the foot. This is beneficial as it can help prevent new injuries from occurring and even improve your performance and tolerance during sports and other physical activity.

When are orthotics used?

How are orthotics made?

Some orthotics can be bought over the counter; these are made in factories and based on the most common misalignments. Custom orthotics, however, are made just for you based on the unique structure of your foot. To do this, Dr. Jacoby makes a mold of your non-weight-bearing foot (your foot at rest, when you are not bearing weight on it) and uses it to design an orthotic that promotes proper alignment. This custom order is sent to a lab which specializes in custom orthotics. Dr. Jacoby then fits the orthotic to your foot when it arrives from the lab.

Insurance

Extremity Health Center accepts the following insurances. Please contact the office for further information.